Obama Concedes he Might lose on Syria; Won't Say What he Would Do Next

WASHINGTON (AP) -- As more lawmakers come out against a U.S. military strike in Syria, President Barack Obama is conceding that he might lose his battle for congressional support. And he's not saying what he would do if Congress won't support U.S. retaliation for a chemical weapons attack in Syria last month.

During a series of six network interviews, Obama told NBC that he hasn't decided what his next step would be if Congress won't go along.

The interviews came as a glimmer of a possible diplomatic solution appeared. Obama said a statement from Syria suggesting that it might agree to surrender control of its chemical weapons stockpile is a potentially positive development. But he added that the U.S. needs to keep up a "credible threat of military pressure" in order to get the kind of agreement he wants to see from the Syrians.

Although Obama has picked up a smattering of support, several lawmakers from both parties said today they'd vote against a military strike.

Republican congressman Peter King, who supports military action, says Obama needs to show that a strike "is in America's national security interest."

There was supposed to be a test vote in the Senate on Wednesday on the resolution backing a military strike. But that vote has now been postponed.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's been a key part of President Barack Obama's push for military action against Syria -- the view that if Syria isn't punished for its alleged use of chemical weapons, other rogue governments will feel free to acquire and use chemical weapons of their own.

But just one in five people responding to a new Associated Press poll believed that was very likely to happen.

The poll indicates that most Americans oppose even a limited attack on Syria. And more than half of those surveyed were afraid that a strike would lead to a long-term U.S. military commitment there.

The survey reflects a U.S. public that is reluctant to see new military action after a dozen years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it undercuts the political support Obama is hoping to garner as he tries to win congressional authorization to strike the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The poll indicated that 53 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents and 73 percent of Republicans believe Congress should vote against the plan to strike Syria. Just 26 percent of those surveyed said they support a military strike. And only 16 percent said they did not believe limited strikes would lead to a longer military campaign.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.